The main types of hardening of young children. Hardening a young child - healthy Russia. Contrasting and non-traditional hardening

Hardening is a simple and accessible way for everyone to increase the body’s immunity and resistance to external factors, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen your body physically, and add energy and strength. All experts advise carrying out such procedures from early childhood in order to protect the child from colds and other diseases. However, the attitude towards hardening young children is ambiguous, and not all parents are ready to work on it. And even those who are ready don’t always do everything right.

What is hardening?

How does hardening work? It's quite simple. All types of hardening are aimed at improving the body's metabolic processes, stimulating blood circulation, and making the body more active in adapting to the environment.

A simple example of how water hardening works to develop a child’s resistance to external factors. Cold water stimulates the child’s circulatory system, causing the processes of vasodilation and constriction to accelerate. When exposed to cold, they naturally contract, but then expand sharply. Proper thermoregulation is a key factor in health and resistance to disease. A hardened organism will respond very quickly to changes in external temperature, maintaining the temperature of the internal organs within more or less acceptable limits.

When it gets cold outside, a child’s body, which is not accustomed to temperature changes, will work more slowly. The blood vessels will narrow sharply under the influence of cold, but will begin to expand more slowly. At this moment, the body will be hypothermic, and its resistance to external factors will be greatly reduced. Similarly, a healthy, seasoned child will feel great in the heat, his body will actively work to maintain the correct temperature balance.

Pros and cons of hardening young children

Hardening procedures have a very positive effect on the health and development of a child at any age.

The main advantages of such procedures:

• increasing the body's resistance to infectious and seasonal diseases;

• accelerated adaptation of the child to changes in environmental factors;

• properly functioning metabolic mechanism;

• the thermoregulation process is more active and better;

• positive effect on the child’s cardiovascular system;

• improved well-being, sleep, increased energy and strength.

It is the age up to three years that is very important in the development of a child. During this period, children remain under the care of loved ones and relatives, but after 3 years they are faced with new challenges of the big world. A child goes to kindergarten, the load on the immune system increases significantly. Therefore, hardening simply must be carried out during this period.

As for the disadvantages of hardening, there are practically none. Any problems and difficulties arise only in one case - if the rules for carrying out these procedures are violated. Therefore, if you decide to harden your baby from childhood, be sure to follow all these rules strictly.

How to harden a child under three years old? Basic types and rules of procedures

The main environmental factors that your child encounters throughout his life are the measurement of air temperature and the effect of ultraviolet radiation. An additional factor is water. This is an alien environment for humans, and besides, the baby is more sensitive to changes in water temperature (for example, during bathing). Therefore, there are three main types of hardening - aerotherapy (air baths), sunbathing and water hardening. Walking barefoot on the ground, sand or grass is also a form of hardening a child’s body.

You can start hardening procedures for children from an early age. The best time for this is

The most effective and safe method is air procedures. You need to be much more attentive to water procedures, and limit exposure to the sun very strictly.

The basic principles of hardening are the same for both adults and infants:

• regularity. This is the basis for strengthening the body, without which any actions will not only be ineffective, but may even harm the child. You need to work constantly, day after day, throughout the year;

• moderation. A bucket of cold water on your head is not hardening, but stupidity, which a healthy adult can afford, but not a child. Each procedure should not be lengthy or unpleasant;

• gradual growth. Each subsequent time, the duration of the procedure increases, and the temperature of the water (or air, if these are air baths) is lowered. But this happens very, very gradually, little by little.

It is also important to understand that there are no universal rules or recipes. You should always take into account the health status of your baby; if he is lethargic and inactive, or is sick, you should not increase the load, you can postpone the procedure altogether. Make sure that the baby is cheerful, well-fed at the time of hardening, and does not feel any discomfort.

There is no need to force the child to increase the load forcefully. If he is cold or tired, stop the procedures, dress the baby and warm him up. Hardening should under no circumstances be associated with something unpleasant. Following the rule of gradual growth will help not only to get used to temperature changes, but also to enjoy it. This is as important as all other conditions.

Hardening young children with air - aerotherapy

Hardening of babies should begin with the most pleasant and safe way - taking air baths. Aerotherapy is very beneficial and gentle; it is an ideal solution for people of any age. There are several ways to harden your baby using aerotherapy. These are simple walks outside, air baths, airing the premises.

Walks in the open air

The advice of doctors and therapists on ventilating the house more often and walking in the fresh air for at least an hour a day is based precisely on this beneficial effect of air baths on the human body. It is important for kids not only to walk, but also to sleep in the fresh air. A daily walk should take from 60 to 90 minutes in winter and 100-150 minutes in summer. They walk with children at any time of the year when the temperature outside is not lower than -10˚C.

Air baths

The baby really likes these procedures; they can and should be carried out from early childhood. When changing your baby's diaper or changing his clothes on the changing table, leave him naked for 1-2 minutes, and then wrap him up and warm him up. To begin with, the temperature should be between 20-23˚C. Increase the time of air baths gradually: up to 15-30 minutes in winter at this temperature, and up to 45 minutes in summer, at temperatures up to 26˚C.

A child over a year old can run around the apartment in just panties for up to one hour. At the same time, you can reduce the temperature in the room, just as gradually and slowly. We start with 5 minutes and 23˚C, bring it up to 60 minutes and 16˚C (you can even go up to 14˚C if the child is healthy and active, and he likes such procedures).

Remember that during air baths you need the baby to be active. Give the baby massage or gymnastics, and the child, who is already moving independently, should engage in active, outdoor activities or games.

Ventilation

Make sure that the baby’s room, and the entire apartment, is ventilated regularly. In the warm season and in good calm weather, the window should always be open. In winter, ventilate the room for 10-15 minutes several times a day.

Tempering children with the sun - heliotherapy

The sun is as necessary for a child as air. Thanks to the warm, gentle rays of the sun, the baby receives the vitamin D he needs. They also improve the functioning of the nervous and endocrine systems, increase defenses, and give energy and vigor. But the effect of ultraviolet radiation can be destructive, so sunbathing should be done with extreme caution. Infants under one year of age need to take such baths every day, but no longer than 1-2 minutes in diffuse sun. You can increase the time, but up to a maximum of 30 minutes.

Children from one to three years old also need the warm rays of the sun. They must wear panties and a hat; try to prevent children from spending long periods of time in the open sun. The air temperature should not exceed 30˚С. After such procedures, pour warm water over the child and dry well with a towel.

Walking barefoot

Another way to harden young children, which is very interesting, useful and effective, is walking barefoot. It is also very pleasant for the baby, because it gives new, unusual sensations and allows you to discover the world in a new way. In ancient Greece, young men walked without shoes until they were 18!

Walking barefoot is also useful around the apartment, and on warm summer days - on the ground near the house, on the grass in the garden, on the beach on sand or pebbles. An excellent therapy is walking along the bottom of a rocky stream. But make sure that the water temperature is moderate and immediately wipe your child’s feet after the procedure.

Hardening children with water

Water procedures are the most common and popular hardening option. This is what parents often concentrate on, forgetting about other species. We need to do everything together, gradually and regularly.

How are they hardened with water? There are several ways:

• rubdown This procedure is carried out with the youngest children, very carefully and gradually. Wipe the baby's arms, legs, and body with a moistened sponge, 3-4 times on each part of the body, then wipe dry and dress. First use warm water, gradually reducing the temperature to 25˚C;

• full or partial douches. You can start them at 9-10 months, but only after consulting a pediatrician. The best option for carrying out the procedure is after bathing the child. You need to start with the feet, then pour the entire child from the neck to the back. At first, the temperature should be 28-29˚C, but it can be gradually reduced. You can stop at only partial dousing (of the baby’s legs), this is just as useful and effective.

• contrast douches or contrast showers. Such procedures can be used at an older age, from 18 months, according to the scheme: warm water (33-36˚С) - cold (23-26˚С) - warm again (33-36˚С).

What is important to remember when tempering a child from childhood? Hardening of young children must be regular. If you had a break, then you need to start all over again, gradually and slowly. Continuing to harden your baby after a break using the same scheme, you can harm his health. The best option is not to stop the process completely, not to be lazy and try to give the child everything to keep him healthy and strong.

1-3 months

room temperature - 22 °C;

mandatory sleep in the air at temperatures from -15° C to +30° C;

during swaddling and massage - air bath for 5-6 minutes;

washing, water temperature 28 °C;

general bath at a water temperature of 36-37 ° C, duration - 5-6 minutes.

3-6 months

room temperature - 20-22 °C;

mandatory sleep in the air at temperatures from -15 ° C to +30 ° C;

during swaddling and massage - air bath for 6-8 minutes;

washing, water temperature 25-26 °C;

general bath at a water temperature of 36-37 ° C, duration - 5-6 minutes, followed by dousing with water at a temperature of 34-35 ° C;

in summer, stay under the scattered rays of the sun 2-3 times a day for 5-6 minutes.

6-12 months

room temperature - 20-22° C;

mandatory sleep in the air at temperatures from -15° C to +30° C;

air baths while changing clothes, gymnastics, while awake - 10-12 minutes;

washing, water temperature 20-24 °C;

general bath at a water temperature of 36-37 ° C, followed by dousing with water at a temperature of 34-35 ° C;

dry rubbing with a flannel mitten until the skin is slightly reddened for 7-10 days, then wet rubbing with water at a temperature of 35 ° C with a gradual decrease in temperature to 30 ° C;

in summer, stay under the scattered rays of the sun 2-3 times a day for up to 10 minutes.

1-3 years

room temperature - 19-20° C;

daytime sleep in the open air at temperatures from -15 ° C to +30 ° C;

air bath when changing linen after day and night sleep, for children over 2 years old - during morning and hygienic exercises and washing;

washing, water temperature at the beginning of hardening is 20 ° C, later it is gradually reduced to 16-18 ° C, children over 2 years old wash their neck, upper chest and arms to the elbow;

general dousing after a walk. The initial water temperature is 34-35 ° C, then it is gradually reduced to 24-26 ° C;

dousing before daytime sleep, the initial water temperature is 28° C, then it is gradually reduced to 18° C;

general bath at a water temperature of 36°C for 5 minutes, followed by dousing with water at a temperature of 34°C before bedtime 2 times a week;

in summer, stay in the sun, starting from 5-6 minutes, up to 8-10 minutes 2-3 times a day.

1.3. Preventive and therapeutic measures for children under 1 year of health group II (with borderline conditions)

1.3.1. Risk group for intrauterine infection:

age-related daily routine. Special control over the sanitary and hygienic regime: room temperature - +20-22°C, regular ventilation, wet cleaning of the room - 1-2 times a day, prevention of hypothermia and overheating of the child, clothes only made of cotton fabrics, daily hygiene bath, washing hands before approaching the child, etc.;

mandatory treatment of the umbilical wound by a nurse and teaching the mother how to do this;

rational nutrition with breast milk, in its absence - fresh donor milk. Introduction of training complementary foods from 4-5 months - juices, fruit puree;

physical education and age-appropriate conditioning;

educational influences - age-related;

preventive vaccinations - according to an individual vaccination calendar, depending on the degree of risk;

The pediatrician examines the child in the first month of life - 4 times, then until 3 months - 2 times a month. The number of nurse visits is determined by the local doctor. If the risk has not materialized within 3 months, the child is transferred to the 1st health group;

laboratory tests: regular thermometry, blood tests at 1 and 3 months.

S.G. Zybelin (1735 - 1802)

Hardening is a scientifically based systematic use of natural factors to increase the body's resistance to adverse environmental conditions.

As is known, human health by 10 - 20% depends from heredity, 10 - 20% - from the state of the environment, 8 - 12% - from the level of health care and 50 - 70% - from lifestyle. Hardening also plays an important role in the formation of a healthy lifestyle. Hardening as a factor in increasing the body's resistance to various meteorological conditions has been known since ancient times. The experience of hardening that has reached us dates back over a thousand years. In his work “The Canon of Medical Science,” Abu Ali ibn Sina (Avicenna) talks about bathing in cold water, including for young children. The Russian chronicler Nestor in the 10th century described how, immediately after birth, babies began to soar in a bathhouse and bathe in cold water. The ancient Scythians, according to Herodotus and Tacitus, also bathed their newborn children in cold water. It is a mistaken opinion that hardening procedures are contraindicated for weakened children. Only acute febrile diseases are a contraindication to hardening.

The following rules must be observed:
· Systematically use hardening procedures at all times of the year, without interruptions, with a gradual increase in the dose of irritant action.
· Correctly select and dose hardening procedures individually for each child, taking into account age.
· All hardening procedures should be carried out against a background of positive emotions.

Violation of these rules leads to a decrease or absence of the positive effect of hardening, and sometimes to hyperactivation of the neuroendocrine system and its subsequent depletion.

Hardening activities are divided into are common And special.
General ones include a proper daily routine, balanced nutrition, and physical exercise.

Special hardening procedures include:
· air hardening (air baths),
· sun hardening (sunbathing),
· hardening with water (water procedures).

Air baths.
The first hardening procedure for an infant is air baths. It must be remembered that the air temperature in the room for a newborn baby should be 23 ° C, at the age of 1 to 3 months. - 21° C, from 3 months. up to 1 year - 20° C; over 1 year - 18° C. Infants have high energy costs and oxygen consumption (2.5 times more than adults), so it is necessary to ventilate the premises 4 - 5 times a day for 10 - 15 minutes. in winter, keep the windows open almost constantly in summer. Ventilation using a window or transom is carried out in the presence of children; the air temperature drops by 1 - 2° C, which is a hardening factor. It is advisable to carry out cross-ventilation when there is no child in the room. It is possible to use air conditioners and microclimate systems that automatically regulate temperature and humidity.
In the summer, newborns can be taken for a walk almost immediately after birth, initially for 20-40 minutes, quickly increasing the time to 6-8 hours a day.
In winter, children are first taken outside at the age of 2 - 3 weeks at an air temperature of at least -5 ° C for 15 - 20 minutes. and gradually increase exposure to air to 1.5 - 2 hours 2 times a day.
Air baths themselves begin to be carried out in the maternity hospital, when, when changing diapers, the child is left for a short time without clothes. Air baths should be carried out in a well-ventilated area at an air temperature of 20 - 22 ° C (for infants) and 18 - 19 ° C (for children 1 - 2 years old). Initially, the duration of the procedure is 1 - 2 minutes, every 5 days it increases by 2 minutes. and reaches 15 minutes. (for children up to 6 months) and up to 30 minutes (after 6 months). Air baths must be combined with gymnastic exercises.

Sun hardening.
Ultraviolet rays actively affect the immunological resistance of the body. However, the younger the child is, the higher the sensitivity to ultraviolet rays. Therefore, sunbathing is contraindicated for children under one year of age. They are prescribed with caution to children from 1 to 3 years of age, and only at an older age they are carried out quite widely. Scattered sunlight contains a lot of ultraviolet and relatively few infrared rays, which cause overheating of the child’s body, which is especially dangerous for children with increased neuro-reflex excitability. In autumn, winter and spring, direct sunlight does not cause overheating, so getting it on the child’s exposed face is not only acceptable, but also necessary. In summer, it is recommended to carry out light-air baths at an air temperature of 22 ° C and above for infants and at 20 ° C for children 1 - 3 years old, preferably in calm weather. In central Russia, light-air baths are best carried out from 9 to 12 noon, in hotter climates from 8 to 10 am. The duration of the first bath for infants is 3 minutes, for older children - 5 minutes. with a daily increase to 30 - 40 minutes or more. An absolute contraindication to sunbathing is an air temperature of 30° C or higher. After sunbathing, children are prescribed water treatments. Since the body becomes hypothermic when the skin is wet, it is imperative to dry the child, even if the air temperature is high.

Water procedures.
The thermal conductivity of water is 30 times, and the heat capacity is 4 times greater than air, so water hardening has a more powerful effect on the body compared to air procedures. The method of water hardening depends on the age of the child. It is necessary to introduce an element of hardening into ordinary water procedures (washing, rinsing, bathing).
Water procedures are divided into traditional and non-traditional, or intensive.

Traditional water treatments
Age child from birth up to 2 - 3 months.
1. General baths - the child is bathed daily with water at a temperature of 37 - 36 ° C for 5 minutes, then doused with water at a temperature 2 ° C lower.
2. Washing, washing, which lasts 1 - 2 minutes, is first carried out at a water temperature of 28 ° C, every 1 - 2 days and reduced by 1 - 2 ° C and brought to 20 - 22 ° C.
3. Local wet wiping - with a mitten moistened with water at a temperature of 33 - 36 ° C, wipe the arms from the hand to the shoulder, then the legs from the foot to the knee for 1 - 2 minutes. Once every five days, the temperature is lowered by 1 ° C and brought to 28 ° C. Each part of the body is wiped dry until slightly reddened immediately after wiping it wet.

Age baby from 2 - 3 to 9 - 10 months.
1 and 2 as in the previous age group.
3. General wet wiping. First, the upper limbs are wiped, then the lower ones, and finally the chest and back. The water temperature is the same as for local rubdowns. You can add salt to the water (2 teaspoons of salt per 1 glass of water). The same rule must be followed - wipe each part of the body dry immediately after wiping it.

Age baby from 9 - 10 months. up to 1 year
1 and 2 as in previous age groups.
3. General dousing. During this procedure, the child can sit or stand. The flexible shower hose should be kept close to the child's body (25 - 30 cm). The water jet must be strong. First they pour on the back, then the chest, stomach, and lastly the arms. After dousing, wipe dry until slightly red. Initially, the water temperature is 35 - 37 ° C, then every 5 days it is reduced by 1 ° C and brought to 28 ° C.

Contrasting and non-traditional hardening.
Intensive (non-traditional) hardening methods include any methods in which there is at least short-term contact of a naked human body with snow, ice water, or subzero air.
There is sufficient experience in intensive hardening of young children in parental health clubs. However, there are practically no scientific studies indicating the possibility of using this type of hardening. Therefore, most authors dealing with the issues of hardening young children consider bathing children in ice water to be contraindicated.
There is contrast hardening as a transitional step between traditional and intensive hardening: contrast foot baths, contrast rubdown, contrast shower, sauna, Russian bath, etc. Contrast hardening is more effective than hardening only with cold. The most common method for children is contrast dousing of the feet (you cannot pour cold water on cold feet, the feet must first be warmed).
There are also so-called pharmacological methods of hardening - the use of immunostimulants that enhance interferon formation (prodigiosan, levamisole, timolin, T-activin, etc.). Some authors recommend their use for the prevention of frequent respiratory diseases in young children. However, this issue has not been sufficiently studied, and the results of the therapeutic experience indicate that there is no effect of treatment with immunostimulants on the level and dynamics of respiratory morbidity.

__________________________________________________________

Thank you for your help in writing this article. A.B. Dulenkova, deputy chief physician of City Clinical Hospital No. 7 for childhood, head of the intensive care unit for newborn children.
Perinatal Center City Clinical Hospital No. 7: Kolomensky Prospect, 4, m "Kashirskaya"
tel.118-51-83, 118-59-65

Elements of hardening in everyday life: washing with cool water, wide aeration of rooms, properly organized walks, physical exercises carried out in light sportswear indoors and outdoors;

Special events: water, air and solar.

To harden children, the main natural factors (sun, air and water) are used differentially depending on the age of the children, their state of health, taking into account the preparedness of the staff and the material base of the preschool educational institution, with strict adherence to methodological recommendations.

Hardening activities vary in strength and duration depending on the season of the year, the air temperature in group rooms, and the epidemiological situation.

To carry out hardening activities in each group cell it is necessary to have:

Marked lightweight polyethylene tanks (2 pcs.);

Bucket at 0.5. l water for contrast douches;

Jugs or watering cans for 2 - 2.5 liters of water for general douches;

The basin is polyethylene, deep, with two handles for local hardening (stomping in the basin);

Individually labeled towels;

Wooden bridges;

Terry mittens for dry and wet wiping (after each wiping, the mittens are boiled, dried and stored in a closed container);

Sheets, bedspreads - for massage mats.

Health-improving work with children in the summer is an integral part of the system of treatment and preventive measures.

To achieve a health-improving effect in the summer, the daily routine provides for maximum stay of children in the open air, age-appropriate duration of sleep and other types of rest.

Physical activity in organized forms of activity should be at least 50% of the total volume of daily physical activity, and during walks outside the territory of the preschool educational institution - 35-40%.

To achieve a sufficient volume of motor activity in children, it is necessary to use all organized forms of physical exercise with a wide inclusion of outdoor games, sports exercises with elements of competition, as well as walking, excursions, walks along the route (simple tourism).

Increasing human resistance to various unfavorable environmental factors is the main task of modern medicine, and this is precisely its preventive focus. A high level of non-specific prevention is unthinkable without a proper daily routine, physical education, rational feeding of the child, compliance with the requirements of the sanitary and hygienic regime, and proper educational work.

Hardening the body is the formation and improvement of functional systems aimed at increasing the body’s resistance, which ultimately leads to a decrease in “cold” diseases. Moreover, hardening children gives a double positive result - a decrease in their morbidity and an increase in the useful employment of parents in production, which has not only social, but also significant economic significance. The problem of increasing the level of health of children living in the North and similar areas remains especially pressing.

Basic principles of adaptive hardening measures.

1. Hardening can be started and further carried out only when you are in full health.
2. A gradual increase in the intensity of hardening activities is necessary.
3. Classes should be carried out systematically.
4. It is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the child’s body and his age.
5. You can start hardening at any time of the year, but warm time is preferable (in the cold season, the degree of exposure to environmental factors at the beginning of hardening decreases, and a more gradual increase is necessary than in the warm season).
6. Events are being held. only when the child’s emotions are positive.
7. Resumption of exercise after a break, with the permission of the doctor, should begin with the same degrees of exposure that were at the beginning of the hardening procedures. The increase in impacts occurs faster than during the initial hardening period.
8. The impact of hardening agents should be addressed to different parts of the body.
9. Hardening effects should not be monotonous; they should vary in strength, duration, and be used in combination with or without physical exercise.
10. When carrying out hardening, the compensatory influence of natural factors is used.

When carrying out hardening activities, it is advisable to distinguish 3 groups of children:

1 - healthy, previously hardened children;

2 - healthy, but not previously hardened children or children with functional deviations (from the “risk group”);

3 - weakened children (frequently ill, with chronic foci of infection, convalescents of diseases).

When prescribing hardening procedures for children of groups 2 and 3, the initial and final temperature of the influencing factors should be 2-4 o C higher than for children of group 1, and the rate of its decrease should be slower.

There are 3 hardening modes:

Beginner - trains only the physical mechanisms of thermoregulation (short procedures, obligatory hardening with heat);

Optimal - standard technique;

Special - intensive hardening with the participation of chemical processes of thermoregulation.

Children of group 1 can be immediately assigned to the optimal regime with a subsequent transition to a special one.

For children of group 2, hardening is carried out from the initial mode, then they switch to the optimal one. The issue of special treatment is decided individually.

For children of group 3, long-term (at least 1.5 months) hardening is carried out according to the initial regime with a gradual transition to the optimal one. Special mode is not used.

There are no permanent contraindications for hardening. Only restrictions on the dose and duration of exposure factors can be applied, taking into account the state of health.

Temporary contraindications are: acute period of the disease, extensive lesions, severe injuries.

After an acute period of illness lasting up to 10 days, the magnitude of the cold effect is weakened by 2-3 °C compared to the temperature of the last procedures. If hardening is stopped for 10 days or more, it is recommended to return to the initial hardening method.

Room temperature

For children over one year old, the indoor temperature ranges, as for adults, from + 17° to + 19°C.

In autumn-winter, ventilation of the room must be carried out 4-5 times for at least 10-15 minutes. For this purpose, the window must have vents or transoms. When a window or transom is opened, the air is directed to the ceiling; then, having warmed up somewhat, it goes down, goes up and leaves the room. The best way to freshen the air is through ventilation. In this case, air exchange is carried out 7 times faster than with an open window. The criterion for stopping the ventilation of a room is the air temperature, which decreases by 2 - 3 ° C. In the warm season, a window or window can be kept open throughout the day; at night it is necessary to close the windows, since at night the temperature in the room is more difficult to control.

Walks in the open air

Walking and sleeping in the fresh air can be prescribed for children in the summer, 2 weeks after the child is discharged from the maternity hospital. It is necessary to start walking with your child on a dry and warm, non-rainy day; in the cold season - at an air temperature of at least 5°C.

Children over 1.5 years old need to walk outdoors at least 2 times a day. 2.5 - 3 hours. In cold weather, walk at a temperature not lower than - 15 - 16°C. In the conditions of the Far North, for children aged 1 year, walks are carried out at an air temperature of not lower than - 15 ° C, for children 3-4 years old - not lower than 30 0 C with a wind force not exceeding 5 m/s. When the wind force increases to 10 m/s, the permissible air temperature is 25 ° C. Children 5 - 7 years old can walk at a temperature of - 35 ° C (with a wind force of 5 m/s). The duration of the walks is 15 - 30 minutes.

A winter walk lasts 1.5 - 2 hours, and the walk is organized in such a way that the first part consists of quiet activity for children for 15 - 20 minutes, followed by outdoor games for 25 - 30 minutes, followed by quiet games. At the end, children play for 20 - 25 minutes. calmly.

Non-specific water procedures

Hygienic baths for young children began to be used in the mid-19th century. The use of hygienic baths can also be used as a hardening procedure. The temperature of the room where the hygienic bath is carried out should be within 20 - 21 O C. The temperature of the water in the bath for children of the first 3 months. life is 36.5 - 36 ° C, for children in the second half of life the water temperature rises to 34 - 330 ° C. The duration of the hygienic bath is 4-5 minutes. At the end of the procedure, the child is doused with water, the temperature of which is 1-2°C less than the water in the bath. To do this, the child is taken out of the bath, turned face down, and water from a jug is poured on him from above. They begin to pour water at a lower temperature on the child from 4 months.

In the first months of life, the child’s face is washed with warm water, the temperature of which is 32 - 33 o C. Then the water temperature is gradually reduced. Starting from the second half of life, they wash not only the face and hands, but also the neck and upper chest. Immediately after washing the child, wipe him dry with a towel until the skin becomes slightly red. Starting from 2-3 years, children are washed with water at room temperature, gradually reducing it to 18 - 190°C.

It is important to teach children to walk barefoot on the ground, on grass, on sand near the river. First, you can walk in light shoes, open at the top, then in socks (first thick, then thin) and then barefoot (preferably in the summer).

Reasonable clothing

Clothing is essential in adapting to environmental factors and hardening a child; it prevents overcooling and, no less important, overheating of children.

At an air temperature of + 21 + 22°C, a child in the first months of life must be dressed in a light undershirt and a flannelette blouse while awake.

When the air temperature in the room is + 21 + 22 ° C, a cotton or flannel cap is worn only until 2 weeks of age.

Children 4-6 years old indoors must wear 3 layers of clothing: an undershirt and a blouse or suit, and tights on their legs.

In summer, in warm and hot weather, the child wears only panties or shorts, a T-shirt, a Panama hat on his head, and sandals without socks on his feet.

Below is a diagram of dressing young children at different air temperatures in calm weather.

Rational clothing for children depending on the room temperature

Reasonable clothing for children while walking: depending on air temperature

Rational clothing for children when doing physical education outdoors in different seasons of the year

After a walk, your feet and hands should remain warm.

If the feet become cold, it is necessary to dress the child warmer, especially in cold weather: cover with another blanket on top of the cotton blanket.

Thus, rational implementation of non-specific hardening activities from a very early age can help strengthen the health of children and prepare the child’s body for further special hardening activities.

Special hardening effects

Special hardening procedures require not only complete health, but also, c. difference from nonspecific hardening procedures, greater initial stability, resistance of the body to environmental factors. In this regard, special hardening procedures are not carried out with premature babies in the first 2 months. life.

During the process of growth and development, a child can undergo various hardening procedures. The first hardening procedure is air baths. They start at 2 months. age. 1-2 weeks after the air baths, water hardening activities begin. Wet rubbing begins no earlier than at 2-3 months, dousing - from 3-4 months. Gymnastics and massage are introduced to children from 1.5 months. age.

Air baths

The first special hardening procedure in a child’s life is an air bath. In fact, it begins in the maternity hospital, when, during the process of changing diapers, the newborn is left without clothes for a short time and his body is exposed to room air.

In addition to the purely temperature effect on the body, air diffuses through the skin, thereby increasing oxygen saturation in the blood. When performing air baths in children, oxygen consumption increases, indicators of nervous system activity improve, sleep and appetite improve.

Air baths have the least impact on the body compared to water procedures - dousing, rubbing, swimming. This is due to the fact that the thermal conductivity of air is 30 times less, and its heat capacity is 4 times less than water.

Air baths are started at a room temperature of 20 - 22 ° C, then the temperature can be reduced gradually to 19 ° C for children aged 1-2 years. The duration of the first procedures is 1 minute. Every 5 days, the duration of the air baths is increased by 2 minutes. Children up to six months of age can take air baths for up to 15 minutes, after six months of age - up to 30 minutes 2-3 times a day.

Carrying out air baths, as well as other special hardening procedures; It is advisable to carry out in the morning or in the evening (at 17 - 18 hours), after 30 - 40 minutes. after feeding, when the child has a high initial energy expenditure, a high level of metabolism and the ability to mobilize energy and plastic resources to carry out adaptive reactions.

Children over 1.5 years old usually take air baths during morning exercises. In this case, the air temperature can be lowered after preliminary adaptation to 16°C. It should be noted that the duration of air baths for preschool children must be increased gradually, starting from normal room temperature.

Children who do not tolerate a decrease in environmental temperature well, who do not adapt well to hardening measures, need to gradually reduce the air temperature in the room and gradually expose their body. At the same time, first the arms are exposed, then the legs, then the body is exposed to the waist, and only then the child can be left in shorts.

G.N. Speransky and E.D. Zabludovskaya (1963) recommend that in the younger groups of kindergarten the first sessions of air baths last 5 minutes, in the middle groups - 10 minutes, in the older groups - 10-15 minutes. The maximum time for an air bath is 30 - 40 minutes in the younger group, 45 minutes in the middle group and 1 hour in the older group.

Hardening and adaptation to the aquatic environment

Using water to increase adaptation. It is highly advisable to start learning about the capabilities of a developing organism from a very early age.

The main factors of the effect of water on the body are temperature, hydro-weightlessness (in conditions of swimming, bathing), chemicals (salt, pine, etc. baths). Water has a high heat capacity and thermal conductivity, and therefore it is convenient for carrying out hardening procedures, since the temperature effect on the child’s body can be easily dosed and evenly distributed.

Water procedures are divided into wet rubbing, dousing, bathing, and swimming.

Rubbing and dousing can be local or general.

Methodology for carrying out water procedures (rubbing and dousing)

Water procedures are preceded by air hardening - air baths and wiping the child with a dry mitten and a dry towel.

The main methodological principle of wiping comes down to the fact that first the distal parts of the limbs are wiped, then the proximal ones. Next they move on to wiping the body. Wiping with a dry mitten should be carried out until slight redness appears on the skin. From the age of one month, you can switch to water procedures to harden the child.

Wet rubbing is carried out with a mitten soaked in water and wrung out with a cloth, or a piece of clean flannel. First, they wipe the upper limbs - from the fingers to the shoulder, then the legs - from the foot to the thigh, then the chest, stomach, and lastly, the back. It is important to remember that after wiping, each part of the body must be wiped dry until slightly reddened - exactly the same as during dry wiping. The duration of the dry procedure is 1 - 2 minutes.

The initial temperature of water for wiping children 3-4 years old is +32 ° C, for children 5-6 years old + 30 ° C, for children 6-7 years old + 28 ° C. Every 2-3 days it is reduced by 1 ° C and brought to +22 o C in summer and to + 25 o C in winter for children 3-4 years old, to +20 o C and +24 o C - for children 5-6 years old, to +18 ° C and 22 0 C - for children 6 -7 years.

After wiping, the child should be warmly dressed. After a break in water procedures, they are resumed in the same way as they started: first, dry rubdowns are carried out and only then wet rubdowns. The water temperature during wet wiping after the resumption of procedures corresponds to the initial one, and then it is reduced more quickly than during the initial exposure to water. If the start of water procedures occurs at the age of 1-3 years, the water temperature is 33 o C - 34 o C. The temperature should be reduced after a week by 1 o C and brought to +25 - 26 o C. After 2 weeks from the start of wet rubdowns, local foot baths can be prescribed.

Foot bath technique

Pouring the feet and legs begins with a water temperature of + 28 o C, then cools it at the rate of 1 o C per week. The lower limits of water temperature are +20 °C. For children 3 years old it is reduced to +18 °C. The duration of the procedure for young children is 15 - 20 minutes.

Pouring is carried out as follows: a grate made of wood or plastic is placed on the bottom of the bath; procedure time 20-30 seconds; select the water temperature by mixing it; At the end of the dousing, the child’s feet are wiped dry and rubbed until the skin is slightly reddened. If there is no bath, dousing can be done in a basin, bucket, or any container. Water is collected and mixed in a jug.

Hardening procedures can be local or general. General hardening procedures include general douches and swimming.

After the child has adapted to the foot dousing procedure, it is necessary to move on to general dousing.

Methodology for general dousing with water

General dousing is a procedure that requires the child to have sufficient resistance to a decrease in environmental temperature. In the dousing technique, it is important to know that the head is not doused during the procedure. When pouring, the child can stand or sit. The handle of the flexible hose in the bath or shower must be kept close to the child’s body (20 - 30 cm). The water jet must be strong. First of all, the back is poured, then the chest and stomach, and lastly the left and right shoulders. After the procedure, the child is dried dry. The water temperature during the first dousing sessions for children under 1 year is + 36 o C. Every week the temperature is reduced by 1 o C and brought to 28 o C.

For children from 1 to 3 years old, dousing is carried out with water at a temperature of 34 o C, gradually reducing it by 1 o C per week and bringing it to 28 o C in winter and 24 - 25 o C in summer. For preschool children, the initial water temperature during dousing is 33 o C, gradually reduce it by 1 o C per week and bring it to 22 - 24 o C. In the cold season, the water temperature should be no lower than 24 o C, the duration of dousing is 30 s - 15 minutes.

If the child has not previously been hardened, then more effective procedures, in particular water ones, should be taken at a water temperature higher than indicated above.

At any age, it is necessary to go through the entire path of hardening, starting from non-specific hardening activities and moving on to special ones: air baths, local douches, general douches, showers, swimming.

Ages 1 - 3 years:

1. Sleeping in the air at temperatures from - 15 to + 30 o C.
2. Air bath when changing linen after night and day sleep, during morning hygienic exercises, washing.
3. Walk 2 times a day at air temperatures from - 15 to + 30°C.
4. Washing at a water temperature at the beginning of hardening +20 o C with a further decrease to +16 -18 o C. Children over 2 years old wash their face, upper chest and arms to the elbow.
5. General dousing after a walk with an initial water temperature of 34-35 o C and a further decrease to +18 o C.
6. General bath (2 times a week before bed) at a water temperature of 36 o C, lasting 5-6 minutes, followed by dousing with water at 34 o C.
7. In summer, stay in the sun 2-3 times a day, starting from 5-6 minutes, increasing to 8-10 minutes.

Preschool age:

1. The air temperature in the room is 19 - 17 o C.
2. Air bath. lasting 10 - 15 minutes when changing linen after night and day sleep, during morning hygienic exercises, washing.
3. Walk 2 times a day at air temperatures from - 15 to + 30 O C.
4. Daytime sleep outdoors on the veranda with open windows all year round.
5. Washing with water at a temperature of +14 -16 o C. Wash the face, neck, upper chest and arms to the elbow. Older children dry themselves to the waist.
6. General douche or shower after a walk with an initial water temperature of 34-35 0 C and a further decrease to + 24 0 C.
7. Washing your feet with water before going to bed with an initial water temperature of +28 ° C and gradually decreasing it to 16 ° C.
8. General bath (2 times a week before bedtime) at a water temperature of 35 0 C.

“If you want to be healthy, toughen up!” - these words became the motto of several generations for a reason. Scientists have long proven that hardening can improve the condition of the body and enhance the functioning of the immune system, as it adapts the body to sudden environmental changes and unfavorable conditions. Of course, you need to adapt your body gradually, and not immediately rush into a snowdrift, hoping for improved health. It is best to begin to harden yourself from childhood, so that from an early age the human body is not afraid of weather changes.

It is worth immediately determining that children of any age and even those with poor health can be hardened, only carefully and, in the latter case, begin the procedures only when the child is healthy. The only contraindication is acute febrile illnesses. And of course, it should be noted that for young children, hardening does not mean wiping them with snow or dousing them with ice water in the cold. This is a barely noticeable and systematic, and completely familiar to us, change in air or water temperature, exposure to the sun and swimming in natural bodies of water, with a further increase in time and exposure to external stimuli on the child. Remember that it is important not only to follow all the rules, but also to create a positive attitude in the child, so that hardening does not feel like a punishment, but rather like a pleasant and useful time together.

In the first month of life, a child can be hardened with so-called air baths. They are a very simple action: before feeding, the baby can be kept naked for a couple of minutes in a room in which the temperature will be about 22-24°C. The baby can take such baths every day, literally immediately after being discharged from the hospital. In the summer, you can walk outside with your newborn almost immediately after being discharged from the hospital. This should not be done only if the baby weighs less than 2500 grams. At first, you can walk for half an hour a day, and then for 6 or even 8 hours, because fresh air is very necessary for a growing body. In winter, the walking time, of course, should be significantly reduced: first 5-10 minutes, and then a maximum of 2 hours a day. By the way, sleeping in the fresh air is considered the most healthful and beneficial. At the same time, be sure to take into account that the air temperature for such hardening must be at least 10°C below zero, and the clothing must be suitable so that the baby does not experience hypothermia.

After the baby turns one month old, his body becomes stronger, which means that hardening can be gradually increased, for example, air baths can last longer (up to 15 minutes) and the air temperature can drop by 1-2 °C.

When the child is six months old, the temperature of the water during bathing can be reduced to 36°C, and after a twenty-minute bath, you can pour water over him, the temperature of which will be a couple of degrees lower than the one in which he just bathed, that is, approximately 34°C.

A child can swim in open water only after he turns one year old. And the time spent in water should increase gradually, starting from one to two minutes, at a water temperature of at least 21°C. At the same time, you should not drag the child into the river by force - he must want to enter the water himself. At this age, you can begin to accustom your child to sunbathing, but be sure to use a protective cream and at a safe time (from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00).

It is worth accustoming a child to the sun's rays at an air temperature of + 20-30 ° C (but in no case higher), starting from 5 to 40 minutes. The child should not be exposed to open sunlight for more than this time. At the slightest redness, stop the procedure for several days.

If you follow these rules in infancy and continue proper hardening throughout your life, your child will grow up to be a healthy person and will not be afraid of cold or heat.